The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-26
Criminal Court Completes IFS
LabOrs for the April
Term.
Seven Sinners Receive Sentence
at the Hands of the
Court.
Otto Mass Does Some Tall Swear
ing, But Gets a Hundred
Dollar Fine.

ed the court to the special term set for
July 25th, at which the case of I. T.
Mullins, charged with the murder OF
Thos. Thatcher will be heard.
The greater part OF the afternoon
session was consumed in hearing the
evidence in the Mass case, which was
hotly defended by Attorney Barnett.
The last witness put upon the stand
was the defendant, Otto Mass, who did
a little of the hardest swearing ever
heard in court of justice, and if his
own evidence is to be taken he must
be considered the champion ignoramus
Of the white race. He claimed that
he had rented the premises to one
Samuel Moore, residing at Ell Dorado
Springs, that Moore sent him the rent
In cash in a letter every month, that
he did not know that Maggie
Williams, the occupant, or any of her
companions, were courtesans, that
he did not know the lay
forbid renting to such
characters and In short showed an
utter ignorance of everything con.
corning the matter that caused the
dullest coon in the audience to grin.
On cross examination, however,
he made such admissions and got SO
mixed up under Mr.. Lamms heavy
broadside that his object in giving
such testimony was made very plain.
After the evidence was ia the case was
given to the jury without argument
and they retired fer deliberation.
The case of the state vs.. Al.
Gordon charged with allowing minors
to frequent his saloon was continued
until the November term the defen-
dant giving bond 10 the sum of 500
for his appearance.
The case of the state VS., II. II.
Dix was next called and after the
jury had been polled the defense en-
tered a plea of guilty and explained
the position of the defendant in the
matter to the court in such a way,
that, in view of the miti-
eating circumstances he was
dismissed with a fine of So.
The judge then discharged the jurors
with a compliment to the business
men of Sedalia for the prompt and
cheerful manner in which they had re-
sponded the to demands Of the court
and left their business to discharge
their duty to the state.
Attorney Barnett on behalf of the
defendant, T. A. Sampson, asked to
have the judgment by default rendered
at the first days term Of the court in
the appeal case # the city of Sedalia
VS.. F. A. Sampson set aside and fled
a motion to that effect. The court
entertained the motion IN so far as to
allow it to be flied, but declined to
give it attention until the next term,
on the ground thar the city was not
represented and had not been notified
Of the intention of the defense to make
such d motion.
The jury in the Mass case at this
junction reported an agreement and
filed into court and presented q YER
dict of guilty, assessing the fine at
500.
As the reading of the verdict was
finished and the court was discharging
the jury, the deputy sherifPs, aided by
a posse of police, marched into conrt
conducting James Turner, Jerry Nc
Bowers, VIM. Mathew, VIM. OBrien,
Andy Holland, Thomas Moore and
John Enos, the seven convicted
felons who came to receive their final
sentence. A solemn hush fell upon
the audience and the slow measured
words of Judge Ryland as he ad-
dressed the prisoners was listened to
with close attention.
Turner was first called. He re-
ceived a sentence Of two years on a
Jury trial and conviction of burglary.
McBowers came next. In response
to the usual questions, he said ne
only had TO say, He would rather 60
to the penitentiary for telling the
truth than for telling a lie; he had a
wife and two children, one of the lat
ter was laying at the point OF death
and he wanted the court TO provide
for them"
The court stated it had 10 jurisdic-
ton in that respect, but there was a
court which had and would doubtless
do its duty. He was especially severe
upon this prisoner and stated that
while he pitied his family, he
had no sympathy for him,
his crime was remarkable one, for
which he had received the lowest pen
atty, which would not have been the
case had the matter been left to the
court instead of a jury.
VIM. Mathew and VIM. O'Brien,
;ointly indicted and Jointly